What do you think Mary and Joseph talked about as they walked 90 miles from Nazarath to Bethlehem? You can talk about a lot in a 36 hour walk. They did not really know each other. There was no dating without a chaperone. Mary had spent 3 months away. When do you think Mary told Joseph about the angel’s message “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you! Mary, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus and he will be called child of the most high and Christ’s kingdom will not end. Nothing is impossible with God.”? Did Mary share her answer “let it be with me according to God’s word” with Joseph? Did she teach Joseph the Magnificent as they walked along?
In an Advent Homily, Father Richard Rohr ponders: “Why do we love Mary so deeply? We love Mary for her humanity, she is one of us”. The Gospels tell us very little about Mary, she comes as a human canvas that we can see ourselves in. “She stands in for all of us”. Mary says yes to God’s Incarnate, God with us as a tiny zygote, growing in her body. Mary says yes to pushing Jesus out into the world. Father Rohr believes “Jesus is the representative of the divine, the total givingness of God to humanity. Mary answers the divine call for all of us- she is how the gift is received.” Mary is the universal yes to God’s call.
Most children’s Christmas pageants have an iconic scene where Mary and Joseph, weary from the four day walk, knock on the door and hear “There is no room in the Inn”. “No room” is an iconic sign- one we often see in subtler ways “members only, private property, no loitering….” In a world that often says “No Room”, Mary is making room for God to enter our world. The world says “No Room” but God makes room.
Matthew tells us at some point Joseph was thinking about quietly ending his marriage contract with Mary’s father before the child came. Perhaps after a night of tossing and turning Joseph dreamed “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child within her is holy.” Joseph makes room for Mary as Mary makes room for Jesus. Together they embrace hope. The world says “No Room” but God makes room.
I wonder if they shared their stories and found comfort in the divine thread linking Joseph’s dream and Mary’s vision? They dreamed of a different world: where sins are forgiven, people are fed, the arrogant cast down, the lowly lifted up, and compassion dawns within us guiding our feet along the path of peace? When the world says “No Way”, God makes a way.
Luke makes sure we understand that the Roman Empire lurks about. They forced the 90 mile walk to extract tax from a conquered foe. Luke mentions King Herod, Emperor Augustus and goes out of his way to mention the particularly battle tested Roman General Quiernous. Don’t miss the political backdrop. Joseph or Mary must’ve owned land or even a home in Bethlehem. There was no Travelocity, telephone, or mail to reserve a room or even tell family you were coming. However, Jewish hospitality ensured that you could usually count on finding a place to stay. The Talmud taught that welcoming guests is “greater than welcoming the Divine Presence.” (My Jewish Learning.com) Surely Joseph and Mary expected to find a place to stay through family connections. How weary, exhausted, and disappointed were Mary and Joseph when there was no room for them in a friend’s home or even the local inn? Did their extended family disagree so vehemently with the marriage they made no room for this couple in need? How is it that church folks can latch onto a few verses and ignore our God breathed human compassion? How do we so easily forget Jesus’ words: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me?” And yet despite all the nos, someone, maybe a shepherd who bunked in that barn many nights, made room for the holy family on that holy night. Will we open doors, will we make room? Who knows we may entertain Christ?
A barn is not the worst place to spend the night, there is water, hay for bedding, shelter from the rain, warmth from livestock, lamps stands, and more privacy than you might find in your sister-laws spare bedroom. Most farmers I have known would pressure wash the floor and bleach the manger if it came to that. A Jewish midwife was surely there making room for Jesus, they are famous for showing up. And so in a barn Mary pushed Jesus- God Incarnate into the world. They wrapped little Jesus up snuggly as was the custom and weary from labor placed the mystery of God Almighty and God Completely Vulnerable in the manger and Mary rested. Hannah Garritty who painted the image of God as Mother embracing Mary the Mother of the Incarnate God writes “Without Mary’s surrogacy, the incarnation could not be.” Will we say yes to the Eternal Yes? Will we make room?
Out in the fields that Christmas night shepherds were taking turns sleeping and watching over their sheep, when suddenly the Lord’s messenger stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Without electricity and light pollution the glory of the dark sky could take your breath away any night, but that holy night the sky danced with the radiant beams of glorious light. The angel sang, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. listeners, do not miss this sign: the baby, the savior of the world, will be wrapped up and lying in a feedbox.” Suddenly a massive angel choir appeared singing “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors.”
Don’t miss that sign- the savior of the world, the anointed one, Christ the Lord is laid in a feedbox. Marcus Borg asserts, “The proclamation of Jesus as Son of God, Lord, and Saviour directly countered Roman imperial theology…. Jesus was Lord and the emperor was not! ‘Jesus is Lord’ was high treason!… (The) message challenged the normalcy of civilization, then and now, with an alternative vision of how life on earth can and should be.” (Marcus Borg- The First Paul). Mary’s Magnificat signals God’s presence lifting up the lowly, feeding the hungry and sending the rich away empty handed. Zecheriah sings of God’s compassion breaking forth like the dawn and guiding our feet along the path of peace. Do not miss the sign of God’s kingdom coming in a feedbox not a palace. Do not miss the sign of God making room for everybody, not just the connected and powerful. Take down that “no room” sign and make room for good news.
Don’t miss the angel’s sign: “good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people.” It’s not good news, if the good news is not for everyone is it? And yes, there is that refrain with an ill-sounding proviso “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those God favors.” But friends, although some see God as one who withholds favor or plays favorites, God does not force anyone to walk the path of peace. We must open ourselves to love, joy, peace, and justice. Christmas begins to come when we receive the gift of God within us. Christmas will come when we change the “no vacancy” signs in our lives to God’s universal: “yes”- Yes, let it be- thy kin-dom come, let it be with me according to Christ’s Word”. Christmas dawns when we put out the welcome mat, forgive 7 more times, feed hungry people, wage peace, open our souls to glory shining around us, bless others, follow holy dreams, open doors, envision a new world, and let the “Good News of great joy with all people” resonate in our hearts. Oh let us not only soak up the good news for ourselves, let us partner with God, who is always making room, to make room for all people. Oh come open your heart to the Good News, wonderful news of great joy, for all people that Christ is with us all. Amen
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